A 15-YEAR-OLD skier suffered a broken leg just a day after winning the opening event of the 2022 British Children's Championships in Tignes, France.
In perfect conditions, Hannah Skinner posted a commanding time that none of the other athletes were able to match or better, earning her the Super G British U16 title.
Queen Elizabeth High School pupil Hannah had the race win by almost four-tenths with the second-placed girl over a second off her pace.
Team Evolution, of which Hannah is a part, took three of the top five places in the U16 age group of the event.
Just a day after her win, Hannah had a freak accident which left her with a broken leg. She has since had surgery on her left tibia and has been repatriated home for rebab.
Hannah started skiing recreationally as a pupil at Corbridge Middle School. She joined a race team at Sunderland's dry slope before taking a place in the Evolution alpine team.
"She's just loved it and gone from strength to strength", said mum Katie. "It's the final year she's in the children's team, so to go out on a high like that."
Hannah trains for up to 24 weeks of the year in Austria. During lockdown, she was still able to train and complete her schoolwork as the country's ski slopes were closed to tourists but open for elite athletes and residents.
Katie added: "She trains so hard, combining her skiing with her school work. She's really disciplined in her training and her work ethic.
"She's so modest about all of her achievements; she doesn't think it's as big an achievement as it actually is. She's around people who have achieved amazing things. To her, it's just what you do, but it's not just want you do, because not everybody is achieving that."
The ski season winds down at the end of the month but pre-season will begin in May, when Hannah will make the jump to adult racing.
The talented skier was also selected to represent GB in the U16 squad to race in Folgaria, Italy, in January and continues to represent GB in alpine racing.
READ MORE: https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/sport/18170231.hannah-makes-mark-austrian-slopes/
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